Most of us know whether we like our own smiles or not – or someone else’s for that matter – but many are not aware of what actually makes a smile beautiful. Beauty is not necessarily in the eye of the beholder; scientific studies have demonstrated that behind every great smile is a quantitative and measurable list of attributes. Here are some of the items on this checklist…
Midline
Imagine a vertical line drawn down the middle of your face. That is your midline. In a perfect smile, the middle of the upper two front teeth should coincide with the facial midline.
Symmetry
Teeth should not only match up above and below each other, but the left side of one’s mouth is considered to look best if it is close to a mirror image of the right.
Smile Line
Look at the line created by the top of your lower lip. Now look at the line created by the bottom edges of your upper teeth. Smiles that are considered most pleasing are those that have these two lines running parallel to each other.
Tooth Colour
Ideally, teeth should be a consistent colour throughout the mouth and never look whiter than the colour of one’s eyes. Teeth that are too white have a tendency to look artificial.
Tooth Size
Proportionately longer teeth are associated with youthfulness. Over the years, normal wear and tear can erode teeth, making them shorter and contributing to an aged look.
Tooth Position
In youthful looking smiles, the teeth beside the two front ones (the lateral incisors) are positioned slighly higher than the middle front teeth (the central incisors). Patients often incorrectly request that all of these tooth edges line up, but I explain that doing this makes teeth look aged.
Angle of Teeth
In an ideal smile, the front teeth would not protrude too much, or be set too far in. They would not be turned in or out, or overlap each other, although very slight, symetrical variations can be aesthetically pleasing.
Healthy Gums
Light pink gums that are firm and free of swelling or bleeding definitely contribute to an aesthetically pleasing smile.
Smile Size
When smiling fully, the upper teeth should comprise 75 to 100% of the space between the bottom and top lips in an ideal smile.
Incisal Embrasures
These are the small triangular spaces between the edges of the teeth. Their sizes should increase gradually as they move away from the midline.
Buccal Corridor
This is the dark space between the corners of the mouth and the upper teeth. The smaller the buccal corridor, the broader the smile. Research has demonstrated that wider smiles are considered to be more attractive.
Changing Your Smile?
While the unfortunate news is that many people are not born with perfect smiles, the good news is that with orthodontics and cosmetic dental procedures like veneers, crowns, whitening and a host of other options, obtaining the smile that you love may very likely be well within reach! Ask your dentist about your options!
Steven Deskin is a Brantford Dentist in general practice.
